Our building process will be a different experience for everyone as we make sure our approach to your project is the right one for you. To give you an idea of what you can expect from us here is a guide to how we will go about building your new space.
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Our Initial Consultation
We start with an initial consultation. A chat about your project, what you want, how far along you may already be and how we can help bring your ideas to life. We plot out a plan and agree on the next steps. Sometimes this means getting other people involved such as architects and engineers and sometimes we can move straight to the in house drawing and design work. Whatever we agree you will then get a written proposal and a quote so you can decide whether you want to move onto the next step.
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Planning and Design
The next step is to design the project we will build. We will use photographs of the site and take measurements so we are able to create a 3D model of what you want. If you already have an architects plan we can use this to work from as well. We will share these designs with you and make revisions as necessary before agreeing on the final design. Once you're happy with the design we can agree a payment plan and book your project in our diary.
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Building the Frame
We source our wood from our preferred local saw mill, sorting the timbers by hand and grading them to ensure we are using the highest quality materials. We will then scribe it, marking out all the joints to account for the natural shapes and variences of the timber. once the joints are marked they are cut using a combination of hand and power tools to maximise both efficiency and control. Working by hand, combined with our deep understanding of the properties of the timber, allows us to work with it, using it to its best potential, providing the structure, strength and beauty needed for your space. Once the frame has been cut we will add the finishing touches such as chamfers or letter carving before preparing the frame to be moved to site.
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Raising The Frame
Raising Day is when your build really begins to take shape. We bring the frame to site and put it together using hand drawn pegs to secure the joints. This technique has been used in timber frames for centuries and the pegs lock the joints together providing a strong and stable connection that gets stronger as the green timber frame dries out. Depending on the size of the project it can take from a couple of days to over a week to put together but once it is up your frame is complete.
Completing the build
Once the frame is up the rest of the build can continue. This includes building up the walls, roofing, insulating, plastering, joinery and glazing amongst other trades. We specialise in crafting high performance and sustainable buildings and we can discuss all these aspects of your project during our initial consultation with you.
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